DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0230Z April 18, 2011
Southwestern Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico/Southeast/South Central to Central US: A large mass of what is believed to be primarily thin density smoke was visible extending from the southwestern Atlantic westward across Florida and over nearly all of the Gulf of Mexico. The smoke then extended inland over northern Mexico as well as the South Central and Central US. Embedded within this large area of thin smoke were patches of moderately dense to dense smoke associated with active fires. The most significant smoke plumes were analyzed with large fires in southeastern Texas as well as north central, central, and southwestern Texas. Smoke from the huge fire affecting Palo Pinto, Stephens, and Young counties of north central Texas fanned out as it spread northward and covered a good portion of north central Texas, and central and eastern Oklahoma. Smoke from the fire in Hardin and Tyler counties of southeastern Texas reached as far north as southeastern Oklahoma and southwestern Arkansas. Other significant smoke plumes were associated with a large fire in east central New Mexico and the ongoing huge fires in northern Mexico, just south of the Texas border. Fires were also scattered across Oklahoma and particularly eastern Kansas although cloudiness in this region interfered with smoke detection in satellite imagery. In addition to the fires mentioned above, the continuing seasonal fires burning farther to the south in Mexico and Central America also contributed to the smoke especially over the Gulf of Mexico and the coastal areas of Texas and Louisiana. Southwestern US: Gusty southwesterly winds kicked up patches of blowing dust from sources in northwestern Mexico and southwestern and south central Arizona. Just prior to sunset, the leading edge of the blowing dust was located approximately 40 miles south of Phoenix and 25 miles west of Tuscon. JS THE FORMAT OF THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS BEING MODIFIED. IT WILL NO LONGER DESCRIBE THE VARIOUS PLUMES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES. THESE PLUMES ARE DEPICTED IN VARIOUS GRAPHIC FORMATS ON OUR WEB SITE: JPEG: http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/ml/land/hms.html GIS: http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm KML: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/kml.html THIS TEXT PRODUCT WILL CONTINUE TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF SMOKE WHICH HAVE BECOME DETACHED FROM AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE SOURCE FIRE, TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS. IT WILL ALSO STILL INCLUDE DESCRIPTIONS OF BLOWING DUST. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THESE CHANGES OR THE SMOKE TEXT PRODUCT IN GENERAL SHOULD BE SENT TO SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov